10 Tips for Theory

8/2/2019 10 Tips for Theory

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Ten tips for better theory debate

1. Careful crafting of interpretationsa. Interpretation is textual, you are bound to it

i. Interpretation = plan textii. Not allowed to shift out of interpretation

1. Moving target2. Cant construct counter interpretation or offense

b. Bind opponent to the rhetoric of their interpretationc. You derive competition from the interpretationsd. (1) make the interpretation generalizeable

i. It applies to any roundii. make it have a brightline

e. (2) Make it be precisei. If it specifies one side

1. Aff cant use spikes ii. Then it is grossly unfair, and you can get out of theory from the outset

1. Instead Debaters cant use spikes 2. Wedge counterinterpretation

a. A wedge counter interp is more nuanced than original interp.i. Wedge between interpretation and standards, by providing a nuance that

would solve back for their offenseii. Debaters cant use spikes

1. Say debaters may only use spikes that are labeled and have aspecific impact

2. Solves back for the spike being unclear3. Spending time answering spikes is same as spending time on a

case.a. They are defensive anyways

b. Do same thing for interps3. Decision Rules

a. Competing interpretationsi. Pull trigger on theory if your interpretation is better

ii. Justifications1. Prevents whining2. Generating offense3. Cater to judges4. Minimizes judge intervention

a. Not just reasonability judgement5. Most theoretically legitimate


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a. Role of theory is to create rules for debate, burden is toprove a rule

6. Encourages careful frameworkinga. Abusive frameworks aint fair

7. It discourages testing the limits of the topica. Run most unfair as they can, while still being reasonable, to

get strategy benefits.b. Reasonability

i. If interp is unreasonableii. Justifications

1. Prevents you from losing if slightly less fair2. Means that if both interps are fair, you dont lose 3. Lowers breadth of education if you accept an interp in every case

iii. Reasonability debate constructs a threshold for making an interp

unreasonable.1. Potential abuse is or is not a voter

a. Can argue that there is always potential abuseb. Punishes for very small problems with interpc. It isnt what you do, its what you justify.

i. Need to be held accountable for your interp2. In round abuse is or is not a voter

a. Usually is a voterb. Double bind

i. Let me have groundii. Or force theory debate

c. Articulate that you have lost ground because they haveforced you into theory. If they grant you your interp,youve just wasted time on theory.

c. 100% threshold because it is a no risk issue for negative. Make sure that there isdefinitely a violation before pulling the trigger

4. Answering theory in the 1ARa. Figure out how much time you can spend on theoryb. Ways to deal with NC theory

i. I meetii. Take out the voter

1. Only works against bad theory debaters2. Works in front of judges with a high threshold for theory

iii. Argument and voter takeouts1. Meh

iv. All in on counter-interp


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v. Decision rule argument1. Reasonability, and then standards2. Takes time, but lightens burden

5. Answering 1AR theorya. You only have the NR to respondb. Make an OV about this

i. in order for you to vote for the affirmative on theory in the 2AR you mustbe 100% sure that they are winning the line by line, or intervene, or rejectthe theory argument. I cant respond. You cant take the 2AR arguments atface value because that means that I have a 0% chance of winning theround.

c. Make them go all in on it if they want to win on it.i. Spend 1.5 minutes on it.

ii. Be responsive to everything completely

iii.

Make it so that they take a huge risk, or forget about theoryd. If you are the aff responding to the overview

i. Im not responsible for debate structure ii. This is just a time suck

6. Bringing back the RVIa. In LD judges are more open mindedb. RVIs strategic

i. Solves back time tradeoff, because opponent has to spend time on theoryii. You can win the round off of it

c. Make LD specific arguments why there should be RVIsi. As the affirmative, in LD you have so little time to do theory and

substance that RVI s are the only tenable way to winii. Develop them

7. Slow downa. Theory debates are purely analytical

i. Cant flow them as well ii. Need time to think about the argument

8. Cool rhetoric/being persuasivea. Being slowb. Theory often won by the perceptually dominant debater

i. Theory is often muddledc. Time is the currency of debate

i. We need to spend it wiselyd. Breadth vs. Depth is something you do at the far end of a swimming pool! e. Dont be meek

i. Be sassy


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9. The use of overviewsa. Encapsulate theory debate in a really clear wayb. Talk about the round, status update.

i. Identify what your opponent isnt dealing with c. Clarity gives you the edged. Use sassy rhetoric

i. the affirmative wasnt listening in theory 101 when we learned that youcant win a competing interpretations debate without a counter interpretation!

10. Prepping for theory before the tournamenta. Have responses to arguments preparedb. Script it out

i. Prep out competing interpretations vs. reasonabilityii. Lines of responses

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Script sassy rhetoricc. Cut cards from debate journals

i. From policy debate community1. 3NR.COM 2. Georgia debate union 3. Etc

ii. Be careful about whether it applies to LDd. If you are being abusive, do really good research

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10 Tips for Theory